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Glossary
"IVFAustralia provides the highest possible standard of fertility treatment in a caring, compassionate and personalised environment."
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- ART (Assisted Reproductive Technology)
- A collective term for IVF, FICSIT, GIFT, PROST, ZIFT, TEST, TET, ICSI.
- AH (Assisted Hatching)
- The procedure in which the zona (or egg shell) is softened / thinned usually by laser or acid.
- Blastocyst
- Five-six days after fertilisation, at 'normal' implantation time, the multiple cell embryo develops a cystic central structure.
- Cervix
- The lower section of the uterus which protrudes into the vagina and dilates during labour to allow the passage of the infant.
- Curettage (D & C)
- The scraping of the lining of the uterus by an instrument called a 'curette'.
- Donor Insemination
- The use of sperm from a male donor in order to achieve a pregnancy. Usually the husband has no sperm (or very few) and the chance of pregnancy is remote.
- Embryo
- After fertilisation the egg begins to multiply and is called an embryo.
- Endometrium
- The membrane lining the uterus.
- Endometriosis
- The presence of endometrial tissue (the normal lining of the uterus) in abnormal locations such as the Fallopian tubes, ovaries and peritoneal cavity.
- Fallopian Tube
- Either of a pair of tubes that conduct the oocyte (egg) from the ovary to the uterus. Fertilisation normally takes place within this structure.
- Follicle
- The structure within the ovary containing the ripening egg which is released at ovulation
- Follicular Phase
- The first half of a woman's ovarian cycle following menstruation and during which follicles grow.
- Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH)
- A hormone produced and released from the pituitary that stimulates the ovary to ripen a follicle for ovulation.
- Gamete
- The male and female reproductive cells i.e. the sperm and egg.
- GIFT (Gamete Intra-Fallopian Transfer)
- The procedure where eggs are removed from the ovary and placed with sperm into the Fallopian tube.
- ICSI (Intra Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection)
- The IVF technique where a single sperm is selected and directly injected into an egg.
- Implantation
- The embedding of the embryo in the lining of the uterus.
- IVF (In Vitro Fertilisation)
- The procedure in which an egg and sperm are mixed outside the body. The fertilised egg(embryo) is allowed to grow in a protected environment for some days before being placed back(transferred) into the uterus.
- Luteal Phase
- The last 14 days of a menstrual cycle which is associated with progesterone production.
- LH (Luteinizing Hormone)
- A hormone produced and released by the pituitary gland. It is responsible for ovulation and the maintenance of corpus luteal function.
- Oestrogen (or Estrogen)
- The primary female hormone produced mainly from the ovary from puberty until the menopause.
- Ovaries
- The female sex glands which produce eggs.
- Ovulation
- The time the egg is released.
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- Ovum (Oocyte)
- The fully mature egg produced from the ovary each month.
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- Pituitary gland
- The gland located at the base of the brain, below the hypothalamus, which controls most hormone functions in the human
- Progesterone
- The hormone produced by the empty follicle (corpus luteum) after ovulation.
- Semen
- The ejaculated fluid comprising sperm and secretions of the accessory sex glands of the male.
- Spermatozoa (sperm)
- The male reproductive cells (gametes).
- Ultrasound (scan)
- A modified 'radar' used to see the follicles in the ovary and pregnancy in the uterus.
- Uterus (womb)
- The female reproductive organ that supports the developing foetus. It is the source of a woman's menstruation.
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